The Small-Town Ohio Amish-Style Buffet With Goats To Feed Outside That Still Draws A Crowd
We only pulled off the highway because the kids were hungry and the parking lot looked full. A full lot in rural Ohio usually means somebody knows something, so we followed the crowd inside.
What we found was a long buffet of home-style cooking, a case full of pies, and a pen of goats waiting outside for snacks. It turned a quick lunch stop into the part of the trip everyone kept talking about on the drive home.
A Buffet Stop Along State Route 664 in Logan
Families heading toward the Hocking Hills often meet Olde Dutch before they meet a single waterfall. The restaurant sits at 12791 OH-664 in Logan, the Hocking County seat, right off the main road that carries travelers south toward the state park trails.
What exactly is it? A traditional American restaurant built around Amish-inspired comfort food and baked goods.
Guests can order from a menu or head straight to the buffet, which is where most of the crowd ends up. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner each get their own spread depending on the day.
Location makes a big difference here. Visitors mention an ice cream shop, an Amish deli, a canoe livery, and an antique shop close by, plus a Walmart across the street and Weavers Market nearby.
Some guests even say their hotel was just a two-minute walk away.
For drive-time planning, Logan is a common day-trip target from Columbus, and plenty of road-trippers stop on the way to or from a hike. That timing explains a lot about the steady flow of diners.
People come in with muddy boots, church clothes, or sleepy kids, and nobody looks out of place.
The Gift Shop You Walk Through First
Picture a doorway that opens not onto tables but onto shelves of trinkets and signs. At Olde Dutch, the entrance and exit both run through a gift shop, and diners pay for their meal there on the way out.
Some guests compare the setup to Cracker Barrel, though this shop is smaller and less flashy. The shelves lean toward funny and sentimental gifts, with plenty of Christian and animal themes mixed in.
Kids tend to slow down here, so budget a few extra minutes if you have little browsers.
Old-school touches like this give the place its country restaurant feel. Paying at the front counter after the meal rather than at the table is part of that routine, and first-timers sometimes are not sure of the process.
A quick question to your server clears it up.
Souvenir hunters seem to appreciate the shop even when they have mixed feelings about the food. It works well for grabbing a small keepsake from a Hocking Hills weekend without making a separate stop.
Rustic decor carries from the shop into the dining room, which visitors describe as warm and clean. Shelf stock likely changes with the seasons, so expect variety rather than a fixed lineup.
Broasted Chicken, Roast Beef, and the Hot Line
Broasted chicken comes up in conversation more than almost any other dish here, often described as giant pieces with a crisp coating. Roast beef, pot roast, turkey, ribs, pork tenderloin, baked fish, and BBQ meatballs have all appeared on the hot line too.
Sides read like a holiday table. Guests mention real mashed potatoes, cheesy hash brown casserole, stuffing, broccoli cheddar bake, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and corn.
Some regulars say the spread resembles a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Brussels sprouts are a surprise favorite, and chicken livers have their own following among old-school eaters. Picky kids will usually find something plain, like mac and cheese, mozzarella sticks, rolls, or corn.
Honesty matters when setting expectations. Diners describe the food as classic home-style cooking rather than anything fancy, and opinions on quality vary from visit to visit.
On packed days, some guests found trays running empty or items cooler than they hoped, while others saw the line refilled every few minutes.
Timing your visit outside the peak rush may help you catch fresh pans. Hand sanitizer and gloves are set near the food, a small detail families with young kids tend to notice.
Salad Bar, Soups, and a Wall of Pies
Choosing a pie may be the hardest decision of the meal. Visitors say the buffet includes a full lineup of homemade pies, and several admit they could not settle on just one.
Blackberry and chocolate pie earn the most mentions, but the selection rotates through plenty of other flavors. Want it à la mode?
A scoop of ice cream on top costs around two dollars extra, so let the kids know before they ask.
Before dessert, though, comes the lighter side of the buffet. A robust salad bar is included, and soup kettles have held choices like enchilada soup, potato soup, and beef stew.
Cottage cheese and other cold sides sit nearby for anyone building a plate their own way.
Here is a practical tip for families. Kids who fill up on fried chicken often still find room for pie, so pace the first plate if dessert is the real goal.
Some diners who were lukewarm about other dishes still say the pie was the high point.
Sweet tea seems to be the drink of choice, showing up at nearly every table. Drinks are charged separately from the buffet, so water keeps the bill lower.
Weekend Breakfast With Omelets Made to Order
Only two mornings a week open early at Olde Dutch. Saturday and Sunday doors open at 8 a.m., while weekdays start at 11 a.m., so breakfast here is mostly a weekend treat.
The star of the morning is a cooking station. A staff member makes omelets and pancakes to order, with a range of fillings, and guests mention they are cooked in cast iron.
That fresh-made station tends to win over even the doubters.
Around it sits the rest of the breakfast buffet: fresh biscuits, homemade cinnamon rolls, bacon, scrambled eggs, home fries, hash browns, sausage, French toast sticks, and waffles. Some diners say a few trays that had been sitting a while were dry or hard, so the made-to-order items are the safer bet.
Arriving near the end of breakfast has a hidden perk. One family showed up at the changeover and got to sample both breakfast and lunch dishes in one visit.
Sunday after church brings a noticeable rush, according to locals. If you want a calmer meal with the kids, an earlier weekend arrival could give you shorter lines and fuller trays.
Breakfast pricing has been reported at roughly fifteen dollars per adult.
Goats Waiting Just Outside the Door
A plate of pie is nice, but ask most kids what they remember and the answer is the goats. Just outside the restaurant, a small petting zoo lets visitors pet and feed the animals.
Guests describe it as a lovely bonus after a big meal. It gives children a chance to stretch their legs and burn off some energy before getting back in the car for the drive to the trails or back home.
Goats are curious, quick, and sometimes a bit pushy around food. Show younger kids how to hold their hand flat and keep fingers together, and stay close for the first few feeds.
A pack of wipes in the car helps afterward, since hands will need cleaning before anyone grabs a snack.
Animal areas can change with weather and season, so the goats may not always be out, especially on cold Ohio days. Treat the petting zoo as a fun extra rather than the only reason for the trip.
For many families, though, that pen is what turns a regular buffet into a little outing. It is a low-key, low-cost moment that fits right in with a day spent exploring Hocking County.
Crowds, Comfort, and Who Will Feel at Home
Saturday night in Logan can look like a holiday gathering inside this dining room. Guests call it crazy busy at peak times, yet many note that servers keep up surprisingly well.
Families with mixed appetites are the natural fit. Grandparents get the yesteryear comfort food, parents get easy variety, and kids get chicken, fries, and pie.
Large groups, small groups, and solo diners all show up, and the room handles each without fuss.
Service gets steady praise, with many visitors describing staff as friendly, polite, and attentive. Cleanliness also comes up often, even from those who were not sold on the food.
Not every guest leaves charmed, and that is useful to know. Some found the flavors on the plain side, a few felt the room was warm on a hot day, and a couple of preteens were reportedly unimpressed.
Expectations matter; this is Midwestern home cooking, not a gourmet spread.
Hikers fresh off the Hocking Hills trails seem especially at ease here. After a long morning outdoors, a casual room with hearty food fits the mood.
Crowded buffet lines are the main trade-off, so patience helps when the place is packed.
Hours, Prices, and Planning a Satisfying Visit
Planning ahead makes the difference between a relaxed meal and a long wait. Olde Dutch opens Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Hours can change seasonally, so a quick check before you leave home is smart.
Budget roughly ten to twenty dollars per person. Diners have reported lunch and dinner buffets around seventeen to eighteen dollars and breakfast near fifteen.
Drinks and ice cream cost extra, and a small supplemental fee is added to the bill.
Paying by card may also add a small charge, so cash can keep the total a bit lower. Tips and tax push the final number up, which surprises some first-timers.
A family of three reported spending just over sixty dollars on breakfast.
So is it right for your crew? If your family likes classic comfort food, a pie at the end, and goats before the drive home, the answer is probably yes.
Arriving early or between rushes can mean fresher trays and shorter lines.
Pair it with a Hocking Hills hike, an ice cream stop, or the antique shop next door for a full day.